BSc (Health) and BSc (Sports Coaching) likely in Sports University
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, August 01 2016: The Central Government will be establishing the National Sports University at Yaithibi Khunou of Thoubal district.

The University will bridge critical gaps that exist in our present system.

The University aims to commence with courses in BSc (Health) and BSc (Sports Coaching).

In addition, the local presence of highly skilled sports trainers in different fields is expected to unleash an all round positive spiral, said H Deleep Singh, Commissioner Sports during a press conference held here today at DIPR complex organized by DIPR.

The success of the sports movement in the State is largely due to the strong sports movement and support from the localities and the Government.

The time is ripe to target for success in international events.

The number of playgrounds has increased in the hill areas while it has seen a decline in the valley areas.

The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, Manipur has come a long way since its inception in 1980 after segregation from School Education Department and has been comprehensively working for promoting the different facets of sports and youths.

Sports, in Manipur, may be considered one of the few exceptions where a genuine bond of partnership between the Government and non-Government stake holders has emerged to be an excellent achievement.

The department has been taking up constructions/development works for providing standard and state of the art sports infrastructures.

The department started construction of various sports infrastructure such as construction of district sports complex in most of the districts of the State, under the various Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

The up-gradation and rehabilitation of the various facilities in the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex currently is also significant.

One of the most important activities for the department is identification and promotion of young sporting talent for which a non residential coaching programme was started at Khuman Lampak Sports Complex since 2002.Under RCC (Regular Coaching Centre), systematic and scientific coaching is imparted by well qualified and dedicated coaches of the department in 24 different disciplines.

About one thousand players are regularly enrolled during each session of the coaching period.

MC Mary Kom (Boxing), Saikhom Mirabai (Weightlifting), Kh Kothajit (Hockey) etc.

were nurtured under RCC Programme.

The National Sports Academy was established on July 24, 2007.The primary aim and objective of the National Sports Academy is to groom young sports talents of the country through scientific training to nurture them to become world-class sportspersons in the identified sports disciplines.

From the year of establishment of the Academy, 12 students (6 boys and 6 girls) in each 5 sports discipline (Archery, Boxing, Judo, Taekwondo & Wrestling) are enrolled each year considering the physical structure, aptitude and performance of players of the region.

From the fourth year onwards, 12 additional students (6 boys & 6 girls) were admitted in Weightlifting.

The intake capacity is thus 72 students per year since 2010 (i.e., 12 students in each sports discipline).

Fifty percent of the students in each sports discipline are reserved for the State of Manipur and remaining fifty percent are reserved for other States/UTs.

The Academy imparts sports training along with general education.

The Academy has Classes VI to XII under 10+2 scheme of education and is affiliated to the CBSE.

The students are provided free board and lodging, uniforms, text books, exercise books, clothings, sports materials; sports kits etc.

The schemes of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA), Urban Sports Infrastructure (USIS) and National Sports Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS) have been subsumed into a single "Central Sector Scheme" named as "Khelo India-National Programme for Development of Sports" from the financial year 2016-17 onwards with 100% Central funding.

The main objective of the scheme is the mass participation of youth in annual sports competitions through a structured competition, identification of talent, guidance and nurturing of talent through existing sports academies and to set up new academies either by the Union Government or State Government through PPP model and also creation of Sports Infrastructure at Block, District and State level etc.

The basic components of the scheme are 1) Competitions 2) Talent Identification and 3) Sports Infrastructure.

Under this scheme, only one competition covering the whole of India will be conducted in three age categories viz.

1) Sub-Junior 2) Junior and 3) Senior.

Manipur is one of the few States where the programme will be taken up.

The Government has a scheme for giving cash awards to various meritorious sportspersons of Manipur who have won medals and positions in various international and National competitions.

The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports conducts State and District level Sports competitions which include Subroto Mukherjee Football Tournament, J.N.Hockey Tournament and conducts State level Inter School Games under different age groups and disciplines such as Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball, Boxing, Cycling, Diving, Fencing, Football, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Kick Boxing, Sepak Takraw, Shooting, Silambam, Soft-ball, Swimming, Table-tennis, Taekwondo, Thang-ta, Volleyball, Weight-lifting, Wushu, Wrestling etc.

P Nilkamal Singh was the first Olympian from Manipur who represented India in the Los Angeles Olympic Games, 1984 in Hockey.

So far Manipur has produced 17(seventeen) Olympians (including Rio Olympics 2016) and one medallist i.e MC Mary Kom, who secured a bronze medal in the London Olympic, 2012.For the first time N Nityaichand Singh from Manipur represented India in the Bangkok Asian Games, 1978 in boxing.

So far Manipur has produced sixteen medallists in the Asian Games.

For the first time T Thouba Meitei from Manipur represented India in the XII Commonwealth Games 1982 in swimming at Brisbane, Australia.

So far Manipur has produced 27 medallists in the Commonwealth Games.

Manipur has performed well in the National Games specially after being crowned the overall champions in the fifth National Games held in Imphal in 1999. The State has been winner in 25 out of 29 National North East Games participations with runners-up position on 4 occasions.

The State has also been doing well in the National School Games held in different disciplines.

The coaches and players of Manipur have been conferred with various prestigious National Awards.

These include Padma Bhushan Award, Padma Shree Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Dronacharya Award and Arjuna Award.

In August, 2016 the XXXI Olympiad is going to be held in Rio in 28 sports covering 41 disciplines and 306 events with approximately 10,500 athletes taking part in it.

Out of 121 strong contingent representing India, there are six sportsperson of Manipur origin.

They are L Bombayla Devi in Archery, S Merabai Chanu in weightlifting, P Sushila Chanu, Th Anuradha Devi in Women's Hockey and Kh Kothajit K Chinglensana in Men's Hockey respectively.

Reservation of meritorious sportspersons in higher studies is given in the Government institutions/universities.

Two MBBS or BDS seats are reserved for meritorious sportspersons from Manipur.

The department recommends those eligible sportspersons who are from the State of Manipur for pension scheme given by the Central Government.

Under the scheme a pension in the range from Rs 3000 to Rs 10000 is provided on the basis of level (international) at which the sportsperson had won medals.

L Jayanta Kumar Jt Dir, Kh Pramoda, Jt Director , L Nevidita, B Ghanashyam Sharma Sr Youth Officer, Sanahanbi Kabuini, Dy Secy, Elangbam Sonia , Under Secretary also attended the press conference.

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